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Dr. Reuven Guy's fantasy baseball injury report for Week 8 (2025). Read the latest injury updates for Corey Seager, Ian Happ, George Kirby, Roki Sasaki, Casey Mize, and much more.
The fantasy season is now more than six weeks old. What we think as maybe a short-term deficiency on our rosters may be long-term issues. Benching underperforming players and picking up players who are hot is one way to try to help your team. Another way to help your roster is to consider making some trades with other teams in your league.
When offering a trade, there is a fine line between insulting your trade partner, overvaluing, and undervaluing certain players. At this point, trading should not necessarily be based on preseason values, but on what their value is now. Sending over the wrong value in a trade offer may turn off other teams from having you as a trading partner. One way of helping this value is to trade injured players who have value and may be returning soon to their respective lineups. I will continue to highlight injured fantasy-relevant players to help balance your roster.
Here's a little about myself for both new and returning readers. My name is Reuven Guy, and I am a practicing orthopedic/pain management physician assistant. I have been dealing with sports injuries for the past 19+ years. Therefore, I have knowledge of orthopedic injuries and their recovery times based on my medical experience. I also played fantasy baseball during that time. This has helped me get an advantage in this aspect of fantasy baseball, which I hope to share with you. I am also the co-host of the 2025 FSWA award-winning podcast "Beat the Shift." Stay updated on the latest MLB breaking news with our award-winning news desk and our free fantasy baseball mobile app with 24/7 push notification alerts!
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Injured Hitters for Fantasy Baseball
Teoscar Hernandez (OF, LAD)- Adductor
Hernandez was placed on the IL this week with a Grade 1 left adductor strain. He has begun swinging and is scheduled to take live at-bats soon.
Ronald Acuna Jr. (OF, ATL)- Knee
Acuna continues to recover from left knee surgery from last year. He has begun a rehab assignment and could be activated from the IL by the end of May. Whether his stolen base value will be at its fullest will be the only remaining question.
Third at bat for Ronald Acuna Jr. and he goes yard. His first home run tonight. Just look at his smile!!.
IMO— he’s ready. #Braves #ForTheA #BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/Gjl8XbGfHJ— Alison Mastrangelo (@AlisonWSB) May 13, 2025
Yordan Alvarez (OF, HOU)- Hand
Alvarez is on the IL with right-hand inflammation. Astros manager Joe Espada said that Alvarez could be activated from the IL as early as May 15.
Corey Seager (SS, TEX)- Hamstring
Seager was placed on the IL with a right hamstring strain. The last time he was on the IL for this issue, Seager missed under two weeks. Josh Smith and Ezequiel Duran should see increased value for now. Kyle Higashioka was called up.
Ian Happ (OF, CHC)- Oblique
Happ was placed on the IL with an oblique strain. Severity is not yet known. Moises Ballesteros was called up, and Seiya Suzuki shifted to the outfield.
Moises Ballesteros gets the call from the Cubs with Ian Happ's injury.
Ballesteros was slashing .368/.420/.522 with four home runs in 150 plate appearances. Had been on base in 25 of the last 26 AAA games, including a 19-game hit streak. Here's some film I took last year: pic.twitter.com/PnmY3sBmEH— Chris Clegg (@ChrisCleggMiLB) May 13, 2025
Ethan Salas (SD, C)- Back
Salas was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his lower back and is expected to remain out until July, as per Padres general manager A.J. Preller.
Mike Trout (OF, LAA)- Knee
Trout was placed on the IL with a left knee contusion. Severity is not yet known. Trout has begun running on the treadmill but there is no timeline for his return.
Jordan Westburg (3B, BAL)- Hamstring
Westburg was placed on the IL with a left hamstring strain. Westburg is expected to start a rehab assignment by the end of the week but he has had a setback in his rehab. Westburg has stopped his running progression and has been shut down. There is no timeline for his return.
Matt Vierling (OF, DET)- Shoulder
Vierling continues to rehab from a strained right rotator cuff. Vierling has begun a rehab assignment and could be back as early as next week.
Matt Vierling, also on rehab, follows up Rogers's double with an RBI double. 1-0 Toledo. Both hits were off Carlos Carrasco pic.twitter.com/SsJqcred0K
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) May 13, 2025
Lane Thomas (OF, CLE)- Wrist
Thomas is on the IL with a nagging bone bruise in his wrist. Thomas has been cleared to start a rehab assignment and could return to the Guardians' active roster next week.
Tommy Edman (OF, LAD)- Ankle
Edman is on the IL with an ankle injury. He is having discomfort running in a straight line. He is also scheduled to have live at-bats this week. There is no clear timetable for his return.
Oswaldo Cabrera (3B, NYY)- Ankle
Cabrera fractured his ankle sliding into home on a sacrifice fly. He may require surgery, which would keep him on the IL for a significant amount of time. DJ LeMahieu is back from the IL to try to win back the Yankees’ third base job.
Prior to tonight’s game, the Yankees made the following roster moves:
•Placed INF/OF Oswaldo Cabrera on the 10-day injured list with a left ankle fracture.
•Returned INF DJ LeMahieu (#26) from his rehab assignment and reinstated him from the 10-day injured list.— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) May 13, 2025
Josh Lowe (OF, TB)- Oblique
Lowe has been on the IL with an oblique strain. He is on a rehab assignment and should be activated this weekend.
Garrett Mitchell (OF, MIL)- Oblique
Mitchell was placed on the IL with a left oblique strain. Severity is not yet known. Daz Cameron was called up and could see playing time in the outfield for the Brewers.
Ezequiel Tovar (SS, COL)- Hip
Tovar continues to rehab from his hip contusion. He has been playing the field and batting on a rehab assignment and could return as early as this weekend for the Rockies.
Jeimer Candelario (1B, CIN)- Back
Candelario was placed on the IL with a lumbar strain. He received an epidural injection to his back but remains without a timetable for a return.
Giancarlo Stanton (DH, NYY)- Elbows
Stanton is on the IL with torn tendons in both elbows. He has received three rounds of PRP injections. Stanton could start having live at-bats by the end of the week. He is on the 60-day IL and will be out at least until May 23.
Tyler Fitzgerald (2B, SF)- Rib
Fitzgerald is on the IL with a left rib fracture. He has begun a rehab assignment and could return to the Giants by the end of the week.
Injured Starting Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Logan Gilbert (SP, SEA)- Elbow
Gilbert was placed on the IL with a right elbow flexor strain. Gilbert threw a side session this week. He is expected to make one or two more rehab starts before being activated from the IL.
Tyler Glasnow (SP, LAD)- Shoulder
Glasnow left his last start and was placed on the IL due to right shoulder inflammation. Glasnow has begun playing catch, which is only the first step in his rehab.
George Kirby (SP, SEA)- Shoulder
Kirby is on the IL with shoulder inflammation and has already had one rehab start. Kirby is scheduled to have a rehab start this weekend and could be activated from the IL by the end of next week.
Spencer Strider (SP, ATL)- Hamstring
Strider is on the IL with a right hamstring strain. He threw a simulated game this week and could return to the Braves as early as late next week.
Blake Snell (SP, LAD)- Shoulder
Snell is on the IL with left shoulder inflammation. Manager Dave Roberts said this week that Snell is still having shoulder discomfort and has not yet started throwing.
Dodgers starter Blake Snell, who was supposed to begin throwing this road trip, is still feeling shoulder discomfort and will see Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday. Tyler Glasnow, who has begun playing catch, will also be examined
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 11, 2025
Roki Sasaki (SP, LAD)- Shoulder
Sasaki was placed on the IL this week with right shoulder impingement. Sasaki had some shoulder soreness after his last start, and he said he has been dealing with this for a little bit of time. There is no timeline for his return. J.P. Feyereisen was called up.
This was a similar issue to what Roki Sasaki dealt with last year with the Chiba Lotte Marines, Roberts said. Roberts didn’t have a timeline. https://t.co/UE51VADlK3
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) May 14, 2025
Bryce Miller (SP, SEA)- Elbow
Miller was placed on the IL with right elbow inflammation. Severity is not known, and there is no definitive timeline for his return. His MRI looked "structurally good," and Miller hopes to return May 27 from the IL. This injury comes up about two weeks after he said he pitched through a back issue. Jhonathan Diaz was called up to possibly take his rotation spot for the Mariners.
#Mariners GM Justin Hollander discusses Bryce Miller's injury and provides an injury update on pitchers George Kirby & Logan Gilbert. @michaelbumpus5 x @StacyRost
📰: https://t.co/1Te6CoTwkZ pic.twitter.com/1ZWwYYL1A1
— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) May 14, 2025
Jose Quintana (SP, MIL)- Shoulder
Quintana is on the IL with left shoulder impingement. He started feeling this issue during his last start. Severity is not known, and he is eligible to be activated off the IL on May 26. Tobias Myers was recalled from the minors to take his rotation spot.
Jose Quintana said he threw around 20 pitches in his bullpen today and is still feeling pain in his left shoulder. He goes on the IL with left shoulder impingement, Tobias Myers will rejoin the team.
— Sophia Minnaert (@SophiaMinnaert) May 14, 2025
Walker Buehler (SP, BOS)- Shoulder
Buehler is on the IL with right shoulder bursitis. Red Sox manager Alex Cora said this week that he hopes Buehler will return from the IL on May 19.
Spencer Arrighetti (SP, HOU)- Thumb
Arrighetti is on the IL with a right thumb fracture. Most recent testing showed good healing. He is out of the cast but has not yet been cleared to start a throwing program.
Hayden Wesneski (SP, HOU)- Elbow
Wesneski is on the IL with inflammation in his elbow. He had an MRI, which revealed this. There is no clear timeline for his return until the swelling goes down.
Rhett Lowder (SP, CIN)- Forearm
Lowder is on a rehab assignment as he is coming back from a forearm strain. He will need to make at least one more rehab start before being activated from the IL. Chase Petty has been filling in until Hunter Greene can come off the IL from his groin strain.
Casey Mize (SP, DET)- Hamstring
Mize was placed on the IL with a left hamstring strain. The Tigers are calling it a “mild” strain. There is no timeline for his return. Keider Montero will likely continue to fill in for Mize and the Tigers.
Sean Manaea (SP, NYM)- Oblique
Manaea continues to rehab an oblique injury suffered during spring training. He has been throwing from 150 feet and is nearing mound work.
Brandon Woodruff (SP, MIL)- Shoulder
Woodruff continues to rehab from shoulder surgery last year and is on the IL. His return from the IL has now been delayed by right ankle tendonitis. Severity is not known. Woodruff should need one more rehab start before being activated from the IL.
Just as he was set to make his season debut, Brewers' Brandon Woodruff suffers injury setback https://t.co/p8JJxfS6CE
— Journal Sentinel (@journalsentinel) May 13, 2025
Ben Lively (SP, CLE)- Forearm
Lively was placed on the IL with a right flexor strain. There is no timeline for his return. Kolby Allard replaced him in the starting rotation for now for the Guardians.
Max Scherzer (SP, TOR)- Thumb/Lat
Scherzer left his last start with a lat issue and was placed on the IL after his thumb issue flared up as well. He is now dealing with a back issue. There is no timeline for his return.
Max Scherzer had some back tightness after his last bullpen session. Didn’t end up throwing today in Toronto.
Timeline has changed a bit, but #BlueJays hopeful he can throw again this week
— Mitch Bannon (@MitchBannon) May 13, 2025
Injured Relief Pitchers for Fantasy Baseball
Justin Martinez (RP, ARI)- Shoulder
Martinez was placed on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. He threw to live hitters this week and could be activated from the IL as early as this weekend.
Michael Kopech (RP, LAD)- Shoulder
Kopech is on the IL with right shoulder impingement. Kopech continues his rehab and could be activated from the IL this weekend.
A.J. Puk (RP, ARI)- Elbow
Puk was placed on the IL with left elbow inflammation. Puk is scheduled to begin his throwing program this week. There is no timeline for a return yet.
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